Montreal’s Red Light District

Borys:

Located on the intersection of Saint Laurent Boulevard and Saint Catherine St, is the unofficial Red-Light District of Montreal, Canada. Although throughout time the recognized borders of this region have shifted, its popularity hasn’t wavered. Historically know for illegal businesses such as gambling, brothels, prostitution, and smuggling of illegal goods. This was and still is the go to place for Canadians who want to get away from all the restrictions of society and let loose for a night, enjoying the vilified pleasures of life. It actually started of with good intentions, initially to protect young girls from the lurking lusty sailors that would come through the ports. In addition to that, it also became a hotspot of gangsters and bootleggers during the United States prohibition as they needed a convenient place to smuggle alcohol from. It estimated that today, the Red-Light districts activities generate an estimated $350 million in revenue with over six thousand men and women currently employed there. It’s increasing popularity has lead to many activists to call for reform and the legalization of prostitution, in attempts to protect and soften the environment for the female workers. (“http://www.montrealnitelifetours.com/sectors/article/montreal-red-light/Overview/”)

Emily:

As Borys pointed pointed out, during the time of United States Prohibition in the early twentieth century, tourism outside of the country surged. Individuals looking for a night of good fun could no longer do so as easily or freely on American streets, and so up and out they went. Montreal, Canada quickly became a hub for drugs, sex, and alcohol with their many strip clubs, strip bars, and peep shows “on every corner.” Canada is already known for having a more relaxed vibe, with a younger drinking age of 18 and looser related policies so the area was fitting. “St. Laurent is Montreal’s street of tolerance par excellence. You could allow things there that you couldn’t allow elsewhere else… The police didn’t go there. The Church didn’t go there. It escaped the normal rules of morality….There were no rules on St. Laurent.” – Jean-Marc Larrue, author of Les Nuits de la “Main” (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/curbing-the-sin-in-montreals-red-light-district/article682851/). It’s not just the “sexwork” but also the spirit that people want to keep. A new culture has spread from the explosion of the industry and to demolish that would kill any vibes that once flourished among the blocks of the Red-Light District of Montreal, the “Sin City of the North.”

Zuzanna:

As Emily and Borys mentioned, Montreal has always been known as the most popular place in Canada for its many brothels. However, the legalization of such establishments has been debated over the years. In 2014, the mayor promised to “crack down” on erotic massage parlours which include many other sexual services, and tackle the issue of hiring underage girls, forcing women to do things they do not want to do, and keeping organized crime out of it. Many protested, preferring to see prostitution in the hundreds of establishments operating in Montreal, rather than on the streets. Therefore, Mayor Denis Coderre’s plan of cleaning out the city’s brothels was delayed by Canada’s Supreme Court, which forced the government to re-draft Canada’s prostitution laws. Since prostitution is still illegal but unregulated, the drug scene has gained power and may cause a need or push for more regulation in the coming years. “Montreal is one of the hot spots in the country when it comes to drug smuggling, and it accounted for two-thirds of the more than $5.5 billion worth of drugs seized by the Canada Border Services Agency over the past six years, according to CBC News analysis of CBSA data.” (http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/03/27/montreal-drugs-border-seizures_n_2966533.html)  If prostitution was regulated, however, it would prevent the exploitation of minors, and protect its workers by guaranteeing them certain rights.